Latest / The Marketing Funnel Podcast with Fexingo: Awareness, Interest, Decision, and Action Stages / How The Fexingo Marketing Funnel Podcast Stays Ad Free
Transcript
- Lucas: So here we are — episode one hundred of The Marketing Funnel Podcast. That is a lot of funnels. Luna: It really is. And I think for this milestone, we should actually do something different — turn the funnel on ourselves. Lucas: Exactly what I was thinking. Let's break down how Fexingo's own marketing funnel works. How do people even find this show? Why do they stay? And then, at the very bottom of the funnel, what makes someone actually support us financially? Luna: And we can walk through each stage. Let's start at the top — awareness. How do new listeners discover the podcast? Lucas: For us, awareness comes from three main channels. First, SEO. We write show notes with specific long-tail keywords — things like 'marketing funnel case study Patagonia' or 'how Duolingo uses gamification in marketing.' Those rank well. Second, guest appearances. We've had marketing practitioners on who share clips to their own audiences. Third, word of mouth from existing listeners. Luna: And I'd add — our back catalog is a big awareness driver. Someone searches for 'marketing funnel example' and lands on episode 85 about Patagonia. That's their first touch. Lucas: Right. So awareness is fairly broad. But the interest stage is where things get sticky. We don't just rely on a single episode. We have recurring themes — co-branding, community, subscription models — so if someone liked the Patagonia episode, they'll probably also like the Lego or the Liquid Death ones. Luna: That's the content cluster strategy. We also deliberately vary the format. Some episodes are deep dives into one company, others are frameworks or interviews. That keeps people curious. Lucas: Exactly. And then the decision stage — where a casual listener decides to subscribe. For us, that happens when they realize we're consistent. New episodes every week, same hosts, same quality bar. There's no guesswork. Luna: I think the ad-free factor plays a role there too. When listeners realize they can get an entire episode without a single commercial break, that's a differentiator. It's a signal that we respect their time. Lucas: Absolutely. And that leads us to the action stage — the bottom of the funnel. For most podcasts, action means 'subscribe and leave a review.' But for us, there's another action: supporting the show financially so it stays ad-free. Luna: And that brings up a good point. We should talk about that model a bit, because it's core to how the whole Fexingo network operates. Lucas: Sure. So across all 300 daily shows on Fexingo Business, we run zero ads. No sponsors, no pre-rolls, no host-read spots. The business model is listener-supported through buy me a coffee. That's it. Luna: And we've been doing this for 100 episodes, which is a decent sample size. What have we learned about who actually converts at the bottom of the funnel? Lucas: The data shows it's not the biggest fans — it's the ones who've been listening longest. The average supporter has listened to at least 20 episodes before making a contribution. So the funnel is long. Patience matters. Luna: That makes sense. They've gotten enough value that they want to ensure the show keeps going. And they also appreciate that we don't waste their time with commercials. Lucas: If these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used — a tactic, a framework, a way of thinking — and you want to make sure we keep producing them without ads, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: It's a small thing that makes a huge difference. Every contribution helps us keep the lights on and the content free for everyone. Lucas: And we genuinely mean that. It's not a guilt trip. It's just the model that lets us do exactly what we're doing — no compromises on content or length. Luna: Okay. So back to the funnel. We've covered awareness, interest, decision, action. But there's also a post-action stage — retention and advocacy. How do we keep supporters engaged? Lucas: We don't have a private community or bonus episodes. But we do send a monthly email to supporters with a behind the scenes look at upcoming episodes. It's low-key but personal. Luna: And we also respond to every message we get through buy me a coffee. That builds real connection. Lucas: So that's our funnel in a nutshell. It's not flashy. No viral campaigns. Just consistent content, clear value, and a direct line to listeners who choose to opt in. Luna: And it works. We've grown episode over episode for two years. That's not true for most podcasts. Lucas: Okay, before we wrap, I want to do something fun. For the 100th episode, let's each pick one favorite episode from the past 99 — not the most popular, but the one we personally loved making. Luna: I'll go first. Episode 70 — How a Small Bakery Built a Marketing Funnel on Instagram Stories. It was so specific, and the owner shared her exact numbers. She went from zero to 500 orders a week just through stories. Lucas: Great pick. For me, it's episode 42 — How the Marketing Funnel Explains the Rise of Meal Kit Services. We broke down Blue Apron, HelloFresh, and Sun Basket. It was the first time I felt like we really nailed the framework in a comparative way. Luna: Those episodes still get downloads. That's the beauty of an evergreen topic — the funnel doesn't change, even if the companies do. Lucas: Alright, final thought. If you're listening and you've ever wondered what makes a marketing funnel work for a podcast — it's the same as any other product. Know your audience, deliver consistent value, and make the action step easy. Luna: And keep it ad-free. That helps too. Lucas: That helps a lot. Thanks for being with us for 100 episodes. Here's to the next hundred.